Felipe Bunes Secured His First UFC Win With a Persistent
Felipe Bunes submitted Jose Johnson at UFC APEX in Las Vegas on January 11, 2025. The armbar finish came at 2:04 of the first round and gave the Brazilian his first UFC victory in his second appearance for the promotion.
Johnson’s early attacks led to a grappling exchange
Johnson began effectively at distance, but Bunes repeatedly attacked an exposed arm once the contest reached the floor. His persistence eventually produced a belly-down armbar and forced the submission.
The finish reflected the Brazilian’s established strengths. Bunes had been competing professionally since 2011, and his official career record included several armbar variations among his submission victories.
The victory followed a debut defeat
Bunes had first fought in the UFC against Joshua Van on January 13, 2024. Van stopped him with strikes at 4:31 of the second round, leaving Bunes looking for a successful return.
Almost a year later, the Johnson matchup provided that opportunity. Bunes shortened the contest considerably, securing the submission before the halfway point of the opening round.
Johnson entered after a full-distance setback
Johnson’s previous appearance had ended in a unanimous-decision loss to Asu Almabayev in June 2024. Before that, he had submitted Chad Anheliger with a rear-naked choke in November 2023.
Against Bunes, he instead found himself defending a submission. The reversal illustrated the importance of protecting an exposed limb even after a promising start, as Bunes’s repeated attacks turned the ground exchange into the decisive phase.
Sources
- UFC: Johnson’s early offense and Bunes’s armbar sequence
- UFC: first victory, Van debut and submission background
- UFC: Johnson’s Almabayev and Anheliger results
